How to plant an apple tree in spring in Siberia

Due to the harsh climatic conditions, Siberia is referred to as “regions of risky agriculture.” Even apple trees, which are distinguished by endurance and frost resistance, take root here and do not always bear fruit. However, local gardeners successfully cultivate these fruit trees. The main thing is to choose a zoned variety, wait for the right time and plant an apple tree correctly in the spring in Siberia.

Climate features in Siberia

Siberia is not only about long and severe winters with long-lasting frosts of -40 °C and more. The region is also distinguished by its changeable, unpredictable climate, and frequent strong winds. Summer here is short and not hot, most often apple trees after planting in spring do not receive enough heat and sunlight.

When to plant apple trees in spring in Siberia

Planting apple trees in spring is the only option for gardeners in Siberia. Frosts are very likely here already in the first half of September, and a tree that has just been planted will definitely not survive negative temperatures.

After planting in spring in Siberia over the summer, the apple tree has time to adapt to the new habitat and properly prepare for the winter – it forms a root system, the bark, leaf and flower buds ripen. The gardener has the opportunity to control the condition of the seedling and “support” it with competent care.

The risk of tree death in the first winter after planting in spring in Siberia is much lower, especially if it is a zoned apple tree.

It is impossible to pinpoint a suitable time for disembarkation. It is necessary to wait until the snow melts, the soil and air warm up sufficiently, and the likelihood of return frosts is minimized. In the spring in Siberia, apple trees are planted at the end of May or even in the first decade of June.

Planting an apple tree in spring with seedlings in Siberia

The procedure itself follows the same algorithm as in other regions. For beginner gardeners, a video will help to visually familiarize themselves with how to plant an apple tree in spring in Siberia:

But in terms of preparation, there are certain nuances.

Seedlings preparation

The best option for planting in the spring in Siberia is a 2-3-year-old seedling of an apple tree of a zoned variety with a closed root system, purchased from a specialized nursery or other organization that can guarantee the quality of planting material. In this case, its preparation for planting is limited to abundant watering about an hour before it – so it will be easier to remove the tree from the container, while maintaining the integrity of the earthy coma.

The “bare” roots of apple trees before planting in the spring in Siberia are carefully examined, all dead or rotten tissues are cut off. Then, seedlings with an open root system are placed for a day in a container with warm (28-30 ° C) water or with a biostimulant solution. 2-3 hours before planting, the roots can be dipped in a “talker” of cow dung and powdered clay, drying them in the open air.

Proper preparation helps seedlings to quickly adapt to a new place.

Site Selection

To plant an apple tree in the spring in Siberia, you need to choose a place on the site that is best illuminated and warmed by the sun, but at the same time protected from the wind.

Other important criteria that it must meet:

1. Groundwater at least 2,5 m below ground level. Soil sour at the roots provokes the development of root rot.
2. Water and breathable, quite fertile substrate. The worst thing for planting apple trees in spring in Siberia is “poor” and “heavy” soil. Loam, forest gray soil is optimal.
3. Neutral or slightly acidic pH. From alkaline or acidified soil, the roots of apple trees cannot draw out the substances they need in the amount required for the normal development of the tree after planting in the spring in Siberia.

With a lack of light, even varieties zoned for planting in Siberia refuse to bear fruit.

Pit preparation

A pit for planting an apple tree in spring in Siberia must be prepared before mid-autumn of the last season. When determining its dimensions, they are guided by the size of an earthen coma on the roots of a seedling. Average depth – 0,8-1 m, diameter – 0,5-0,7 m.

Any drainage material is poured into the bottom of the pit, forming a layer with a thickness of at least 12-15 cm. On top of it, it is about a third filled with nutrient soil mixture – high turf with humus and complex fertilizer for fruit trees (120-150 g).

You can also add “additional ingredients” that allow you to adjust the characteristics of the substrate that are undesirable for apple trees. Suitable deoxidizers for alkaline soil are peat, needles, sawdust of coniferous trees. Acidified soil is turned into neutral with the help of dolomite flour, ground eggshells, wood ash. A “heavy” substrate becomes looser after adding sand, a “light” one is mixed with powdered clay.

Due to the waterlogging of the soil in Siberia, drainage in the planting pit is indispensable

Landing scheme

When trying to “save space”, the process of caring for trees and harvesting becomes much more complicated, the risk of developing diseases and pest attacks increases, the quality of fruits deteriorates, and yields decrease.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to follow the disembarkation scheme. The interval between trees and row spacing depends on varietal characteristics, first of all, the height of apple trees, the shape and dimensions of the crown, the type of scion and rootstock:

• tall, own-rooted – 4-4,5 * 5-5,5 m;
• tall on the rootstock – “wild” – 3,5-4 * 5-5,5 m;
• slowly growing on a dwarf rootstock – 2-2,5 * 3,5-4 m;
• columnar – 0,5-0,7 * 1-1,2 m.

Excessive “crowding” when planting apple trees in spring in Siberia is very harmful to plants and inconvenient for a gardener

Care instructions

Most of the zoned varieties of apple trees suitable for planting in the spring in Siberia are distinguished by unpretentious care. However, some features of agricultural technology are due to the nuances of the local climate – and you need to know about them in advance.

Watering

Compared to trees growing in regions with a more favorable climate for gardening, apple trees after planting in the spring in Siberia are watered much less frequently. Here the soil is already waterlogged so often, if the gardener is overzealous with watering, the development of root rot is almost inevitable.

Most of the zoned varieties of apple trees are distinguished by a powerful and developed root system, they are able to “pull” water from the deep layers of the soil. Even in the first season after planting in the spring in Siberia, they can get by with natural precipitation. Trees are watered only if dry weather sets in for a long time, moistening the soil every 12-15 days.

The approximate rate of water consumption is 10 liters per 1 m² of the near-stem circle (the same diameter as the crown)

Towards the end of July, watering of apple trees is stopped so that the quality of the crop does not suffer. An exception is made only for very plentiful (up to 150 l) water-charging irrigation in the middle of autumn (if there are no prolonged rains).

Additional fertilizing

In the first season after planting in spring in Siberia, apple trees do without additional dressings if the pit is prepared according to all recommendations. Further, fertilizers are applied four times:

1. 7-10 days after the apple tree “wakes up” in the spring, it is fed with nitrogen, watered with a solution of mineral fertilizer. It is necessary for the active growth of green mass.
2. At the stage of budding, just before flowering. You can use both folk remedies and complex store fertilizers.
3. At the time of formation of fruit ovaries. Here it is better to feed the apple tree with special preparations for fruit trees. This contributes to an increase in the volume and quality of the crop.
4. 2-3 weeks after picking apples, in preparation for winter. Nitrogen is excluded, the tree needs only phosphorus and potassium. There are special “autumn” fertilizers, wood ash is also suitable.

Without “support” in the form of fertilizers, abundant harvests of apples in the conditions of the Siberian climate can not be expected

Trimming

Most of the work on pruning apple trees in Siberia is carried out in the spring, in the fall they are limited only to sanitary measures. Here, the trees are formed, mainly by practicing the method of pruning to the side branch (aka “to transfer”) at an angle of 45 °, leaving no “stumps”. Its advantages:

• the ability to change the direction of growth of the apple tree;
• activation of the branching process;
• increase in the growth rate of shoots;
• formation of a sparse crown.

The experience of gardeners shows that tall trees freeze more often.

Graft

Grafting makes it possible to grow even insufficiently frost-resistant varieties of apple trees in Siberia. As a rootstock, a zoned variety or a local “wild” is used, applying cuttings of the desired variety to it.

The grafting method for apple trees after planting in the spring in Siberia, in principle, is suitable for any. Gardeners choose a method, focusing on the condition and other features of the scion and rootstock. The most suitable method, even for not too experienced gardeners, is grafting into a split.

Given the peculiarities of the local climate, the scion is placed a maximum of a meter above ground level. At the same time, up to six cuttings are grafted onto one stock, leaving intervals of 10-15 cm between them.

Preparation for winter

Although hardy, apple trees suitable for spring planting in Siberia need careful preparation for winter. It begins with cleaning the trunk circle from any debris and its deep loosening. Then, if the autumn is dry, water-charging watering and top dressing are carried out.

The tree stem and skeletal branches must be whitened. After planting in Siberia, the roots of apple trees are “warmed” every autumn by filling the trunk circle with mulch. The approximate thickness of the layer is 10 cm, a “hill” is poured at the base of the trunk with a height of 20-25 cm. Before the first fork, it is wrapped with covering material in several layers.

In the first season, seedlings after planting in spring in Siberia can be covered entirely – as a rule, their dimensions allow this. They use special covers or home-made “huts” on a frame made of poles, covered with burlap or the same covering material. Inside they are filled with straw or wood shavings.

Preparing an apple tree for winter in Siberia is a whole range of activities, each of which is equally important

Protection against diseases and pests

The general hardiness and “stress tolerance” of apple trees suitable for spring planting in Siberia includes good resistance to disease and pest attacks. Therefore, with proper care, they rarely suffer from pathogenic microflora and insects. In most cases, two preventive treatments with insecticides and fungicides are sufficient – at the beginning and at the end of the active growing season. If there is no desire to use chemicals, during the season, once every 2-3 weeks, the apple trees themselves and the soil in the trunk circle are sprayed with folk remedies.

The only specific problem of trees suitable for planting in the spring in Siberia is non-infectious. The combination of severe frosts and bright sunlight provokes “burns” of the bark and wood of varying severity. In order to minimize the damage, in preparation for winter, after planting in the spring in Siberia, the trunk and skeletal branches are whitened at apple trees every autumn.

The darker the frost hole on the bark and wood, the higher the “severity” of damage

Conclusion

If you plant an apple tree in the spring in Siberia correctly, the tree successfully takes root and bears fruit. However, the local climate requires knowledge of many important nuances regarding the choice of variety, determining the optimal time for planting, and preliminary preparation for the procedure. No less important is the further care of the tree, otherwise the seedling will most likely not survive the coming winter.